By James Riley Strange, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Religion, Samford University
Life in the Community
Matthew 25:31–46
Today’s passage is quite a famous parable. Only Matthew records it and the context is important. It is the final parable in the last of five long discourses in Matthew, so in a way it represents Jesus’ final statement on what life will look like in God’s kingdom and hence how we should begin living now.
Jesus’ reference to the Son of Man in verse 31 harkens back to Daniel 7:13–14. Earlier in this same long discourse, Jesus said He will return (24:30; compare 26:64) and now He talks about what will happen when He does. “Nations” usually refers to Gentiles but the phrase “all nations” in verse 32 probably includes Jews.
We are surrounded by opportunities to meet basic human needs. (31–36)
The Son of Man is now “the king,” another reference to Daniel 7:14. His words to the sheep draw from Isaiah 58:6–7. Meeting basic human needs is not a new idea at all, for we find it in the law (particularly in Leviticus), and many prophets frequently remind God’s people of their duty (see also Micah 6:6–8). Did you notice the language, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom”?
Back in 5:3, Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” There Jesus was talking about people who willingly give up their status (as Jesus will in Gethsemane); in today’s parable He is talking about those who have no station to begin with.
The people whom Jesus is talking about were helpless in their situations. The hungry were in danger of starvation and the thirsty of dehydration. “Stranger” refers to the alien, who had few legal rights in the first century. The naked lacked adequate clothing. The sick were at the mercy of their own immune systems. Prisoners relied on people to bring them food and clothing which the prison system wasn’t responsible to provide.
Serving others is serving Jesus. (37–46)
The righteous are shocked for two reasons. The first is that they don’t recall helping the king and they helped a lot of people. The second is that the king, at the top of the social and economic ladder, is likening himself to people below its bottom rung. How can helping the destitute be helping the king?
One answer comes from Matthew’s dramatic irony. The reader knows that in just a few verses most of these situations will apply to Jesus and no one will come to His aid. He will be in chains, thirsty and naked, and He will be treated like an alien with no basic rights. On the cross He will be like those who, without modern medical treatment, did not survive their diseases and infections. He will die of His wounds.
Another answer comes at verse 40. Normally “my brothers” should refer to fellow Jews. Others have said Jesus is referring to His own followers here. I think it is more likely that Jesus is using a well-known Jewish idea that the poor are righteous by virtue of their poverty.
How so? They rely on God for their very existence.
The wicked by contrast are shocked to hear they are being judged for not helping the king. If they had known he was in need they would have fallen over one another to help. But they never lifted a finger to help those who were in real need right under their noses.
It helps us Baptists who profess salvation by grace through faith to remember we are not exempt from performing works of compassion.
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